The basic steps for adding a widget

Adding a widget to your home screen takes about 30 seconds and works almost the same way on both Android and iPhone, though the exact buttons differ. On iPhone, long-press an empty area of your home screen until a menu appears, then tap the plus sign in the lower left corner. On Android, long-press your home screen, tap "Widgets," find the app you want, and drag it to an empty spot. The widget appears when ready and starts showing information without you having to open the app.

The first time you add a widget from a particular app, your phone may ask for permission — for example, a weather widget needs to know your location, or a calendar widget needs to read your calendar. You can grant these permissions just for the widget, or refuse them and the widget straightforward won't work. This is where the security trade-off happens: the more information you let a widget see, the more useful it becomes, but also the more data that app can collect about you.

Key Takeaways

  • On iPhone, long-press your home screen, tap the plus sign, and drag a widget to place it; on Android, long-press, select Widgets, and drag the widget you want.
  • Your phone will ask for permission the first time a widget needs access to location, calendar, contacts, or other data — you can grant or refuse each one separately.
  • Widgets that update constantly (weather, stocks, news) use more battery than static widgets, and location-based widgets drain battery faster than others.
  • Removing a widget is as straightforward as long-pressing it and tapping delete or remove; this also stops the app from collecting data through that widget.
  • A widget from an app you don't trust should be refused permission to access sensitive information, even if it means the widget shows less information.

Permission requests when you add a widget

When you add a widget, iOS and Android both show you exactly what data that widget wants to access. A weather widget asks for location. A calendar widget asks to read your calendar. A fitness widget asks for health data. You see the request before the widget activates, and you can say no to any of them. If you refuse, the widget either shows generic information or displays an error message asking you to grant permission in Settings.

The key difference from opening an app is that you are not granting permission to the entire app — only to the widget. You can let a weather widget see your location while refusing the same permission to the weather app itself. This is useful if you want the convenience of a widget but want to limit how much data the company behind it collects. Check what each widget asks for before you tap allow, because some requests are surprising. A news widget might ask for your location so it can show local news, or for your contacts so it can suggest stories about people you know.

Which widgets use the most battery

Widgets that update every few seconds or every minute — like stock tickers, live weather, or news feeds — drain your battery noticeably faster than static widgets. A clock widget uses almost no battery because it just displays the time. A weather widget that updates every 15 minutes uses more. A live sports score widget that refreshes every 30 seconds uses significantly more. If your battery drains faster than it used to, removing or replacing high-refresh widgets is often the fastest fix.

Location-based widgets are the biggest battery drain because your phone has to keep GPS running in the background. A weather widget that updates your location every 15 minutes will drain your battery much faster than one that updates based on a location you entered manually. If you use a location widget, check your phone's battery settings to see how much power it is using. On iPhone, go to Settings > Battery, then Battery Usage by App. On Android, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Usage. If a widget is using more than 5 to 10 percent of your daily battery, consider removing it or changing its update frequency in the widget settings.

How to remove or resize a widget

To remove a widget on iPhone, long-press it until a menu appears, then tap "Remove Widget" and confirm. On Android, long-press the widget and drag it to the trash icon that appears at the top of the screen. The widget disappears when ready, and the app continues running normally in the background — removing a widget does not uninstall the app. If you want to stop the app from running altogether, you have to uninstall it separately through your app store.

Most widgets can also be resized. On iPhone, some widgets offer multiple sizes when you first add them; after that, you can long-press the widget and tap "Edit Widget" to change settings like refresh frequency or which information it shows. On Android, long-press the widget and drag the corners to make it larger or smaller. A larger widget usually shows more information but uses slightly more battery and takes up more screen space. Resizing does not change what data the widget can access — that is controlled by the permissions you granted when you added it.

Widgets and data collection

A widget collects data the same way the app does, but only the data it has permission to see. A weather widget with location permission sends your location to the weather company every time it updates. A news widget with contact permission could theoretically use your contacts to personalize stories, though most do not. The difference between a widget and opening the app is that you see the permission request before the widget activates, so you have a chance to refuse.

If you do not trust an app's privacy practices, you can refuse permission to the widget even if it means the widget shows less information. A weather widget without location permission can still show weather if you manually enter your city. A news widget without contact permission can still show headlines. The trade-off is convenience for privacy — the widget becomes less useful, but the company collects less data about you. This is a choice only you can make based on your own risk tolerance.

Widgets that come built in versus third-party widgets

Apple and Google both include built-in widgets for their own apps — Apple's Clock, Weather, Calendar, and Reminders; Google's Search, Gmail, and Google Calendar. These widgets follow the same permission rules as any other widget, but they are made by the company that built your phone's operating system. Third-party widgets are made by other companies — weather apps, news apps, fitness apps, banking apps. Both types work the same way technically, but third-party widgets depend on the app company to update them and fix bugs.

If a third-party app stops being updated, its widget may stop working or may start behaving strangely. For example, if a news app goes out of business, its widget might show old headlines or fail to load at all. Built-in widgets are more likely to keep working because Apple and Google maintain them as part of the operating system. If you rely on a widget from a small or new app, check occasionally to make sure it is still being updated. You can see the last update date in your app store.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add the same widget multiple times?

Yes. You can add the same widget to multiple home screens or multiple times on the same screen. This is useful for widgets like weather or calendar if you want to see different information — for example, two weather widgets showing different cities, or a calendar widget showing your work calendar and another showing your personal calendar. Each copy of the widget uses battery and data independently.

What does it mean when a widget says "tap to configure"?

The widget needs you to set it up before it can show information. Tap the widget and follow the prompts — you might need to choose a city for weather, select which calendar to display, or log into an account. Until you configure it, the widget cannot access the data it needs and will not display anything useful.

If I remove a widget, does the app still collect data about me?

Yes. Removing a widget only stops that specific widget from running and collecting data. The app itself continues to collect data if you have it installed and if you have granted it permissions in Settings. To stop the app from collecting data entirely, you have to uninstall it or revoke its permissions in your phone's Settings under Apps or process Permissions.

Why does my widget show old information?

The widget may not have permission to update, or the app may not have internet access. Long-press the widget and check if there is an "Edit Widget" or "Settings" option. Make sure the widget has permission to access the internet and any data it needs (location, calendar, contacts). If the app itself is not updated recently, the widget may also be outdated — check your app store to see if an update is available.

Can I add widgets from apps I have not installed?

No. A widget only exists if the app is installed on your phone. You have to read the app from your app store first, then add the widget from your home screen. Some apps include widgets and some do not — if an app does not have a widget, it will not appear in your Widgets menu.